Students Pin Down Green Couture

Last Wednesday night, students crowded the Heights room for Eco-Pledge's Re-Sewn fashion event.

Re-Sewn was sponsored by Eco-Pledge, the Undergraduate Government of Boston College, (UGBC), and the Art Club, an organization that seeks to promote the arts on campus.

The fashion show attracted a variety of students with diverse and eclectic tastes in fashion, who sported clothing that ranged from leopard scarves and leather tights to more traditional and preppy looks like polos and checkered T-shirts.

EcoPledge leaders Kelley Fitzgibbons, LSOE '11, and Elizabeth Barthelmes, A&S '11, first considered staging a fashion show this past summer. Their goal to create a fashion show that helps to promote green awareness was made possible with help from Lauren Gomez, president of the Art Club and A&S '11, and Kathie Chung, art director for the UGBC and CSOM '11.

"We wanted to do something to help promote the sustainability and ecological consciousness in our consumer choices, as a part of the Live Green Month event series," Barthelmes said. "The fashion show focuses on teaching students how to live more sustainably on campus through what they wear, what they eat, and the products they consume."

Both Fitzgibbons and Barthelmes have also been working closely with Judi Shils of Turning Green College in order to promote greater awareness on BC's campus.

"Turning Green College is a new campaign to make college students aware of the toxins they put on their body through products and clothing; both Kelley and I hope that by introducing Turning Green College to the BC campus we can showcase the healthier and eco-friendly alternatives," Barthelmes said.

At the fashion show, in an effort to promote the Turning Green College campaign, free products were distributed as green alternatives to the regular non-green products students may already have.

The products included mineral fusion makeup, Depth shaving cream and lotion, organic tampons, and an "Eco-Jot" notebook raffle.

"America has gotten into a cycle of disposable culture. This event provides students with insight in regards to alternatives to this destructive consumption pattern," Gomez said.

The Re-Sewn fashion show featured two parts. Fitzgibbons and Barthelmes were provided with stylists from the Marc Harris salon, as well as Jane Iredale and John Masters' makeup and hair products to use for the event. In the first component, students modeled clothing from real designers who have used environmentally safe practices, such as Patagonia, Loom State, the Hempest, Orphanage Clothing, and Poor Little Rich Girl on Newbury Street. The second part of the fashion show featured student-designed pieces, which the designers entered an environmentally-friendly competition called Project Greenway, which was modeled after the popular TV show Project Runway.

"Project Greenway was a day where student designers received the chance to design their clothes in one day. Fitzgibbons said all of the supplies, which consisted of used clothing and vintage pieces to prepare for re-sale, were donated by the UGBC student life department."

The winner of Project Greenway was junior London McWilliams, A&S '11.

"I'm so shocked I won," McWilliams said. "I was nervous because there was this other beautiful paper dress - I worked so hard. I would stay up all night and use my roommate Brandy to model the outfits. I would cut stuff up and sew it back together over and over again until I wanted to give up. Finally, I was able to produce three complete pieces. I stayed up all last night trying to fix it, and I feel so great!"

BC students participated in the fashion show on multiple levels. Student model Mary Kate McDonnell, A&S '11, did the makeup for the models, and Quinn Coleman, CSOM '11, helped by DJ-ing for the event. Other BC students helped by modeling the clothing. Students who helped at the event felt passionate about creating environmental awareness on campus.

"I joined EcoPledge when I was a freshman," said student model Brendan Brooks, GA&S '13. "I think it's very important for people to be able to make their lives more sustainable by making practical changes and doing things like re-making their clothes or donating old jeans. The fashion show is a unique way for students to see how you can use old clothes. Everything can be vintage at some point, all you have to do is work it!"

The fashion show displayed an array of pieces resembling top-notch couture, which were trendy as well as classy. Surprisingly, they were difficult to distinguish from the traditional "non-green" clothing sold in most stores.

"When students imagine the stereotypical earth lovers, they think 'eco-crunchy tree-huggers,' but students need to realize that they can still be fashionable and wear eco-friendly clothing," Fitzgibbons said.

"All the pieces in the show are reworked, recycled, and reinvented; now let's make it work," said Matt Swaim, A&S '12, doing his best Tim Gunn imitation.

One of the most enthralling pieces at the show was Kim Munson's maroon strapless dress of Orphanage clothing. Elizabeth Roe, LSOE '11, modeled the backless, above the knee, pinstriped dress.

"This piece is unique because it was designed from an old suit coat; Kim only used recycled materials, which is fabulous!" Fitzgibbons said.

Audience members' jaws dropped after seeing the variety of clothing produced by students, which were modeled down the runway.

"I thought the fashion show was a really good idea," said Maggie Borman, A&S '11, "I was really surprised. I would totally wear the clothes and London's dress any day.

"It's important to showcase student designers because not everything has to be store bought; you can rework an old piece," Barthelmes said. "An old flannel shirt can be made into a skirt."

Fitzgibbons and Barthelmes goal of demonstrating to students how pieces of clothing can be rework and still fashionable was successful.

"I thought the student designer section was great because I got to see how talented some of the students at BC are," said Miguel Londono, CSOM '12. "A lot of the outfits in the show could definitely be worn every day. I really liked Meghan Borah's newspaper dress because, while it looked recyclable, it still had party apparel potential. It was fabulous!"

Student designed pieces at the event included works by: Mahi-Gold, a clothing company created by Mike Gorman, A&S '10, and his sister Becky Gorman, BC '03.

"Mahi Gold was started two years ago in Chatham, Cape Cod out of our shed," Mike said. "All of our fabrics are 100 percent eco-friendly organic cotton; our screen printing on dresses and t-shirts is environmentally friendly and passed by the government."

Student designer Chris Battaglia, A&S '11, was also at the event showcasing his graphic T-shirts.

"I design graphic t-shirts with my own homemade silk screening, which I do in my apartment," Battaglia said. "I love spending time in the silk screen mode. If I could make it, I'd rather not buy stuff, and I hope other people will support it."

Organizers said the fashion show was a great success; it demonstrated to students that there are alternatives to clothing, which are environmentally friendly and still fashionable.

"I'm really happy because I love art, and the fact that we can showcase the student artists' work in an environmentally friendly way is fulfilling because it's socially, economically, and environmentally good for the world," Chang said.